3D Network from ESPN to Be Closed Down

June 14, 2013

By Bill Duggan, Group EVP, ANA

It was just announced that ESPN’s 3D network, which was launched in June 2010, will be closed down by the end of the year. According to MediaPost, that decision follows a big slowdown in theatrical 3D films and an overall lack of 3D TV interest/adoption by consumers. Sorry to say, I am not surprised.

In my opinion, 3D is a special occasion experience – for a Saturday night movie or big game. But it’s not an everyday experience. And that’s because of the 3D glasses.

While watching television, many of us are on a laptop, tablet, and/or mobile phone—and you just can’t do that wearing those 3D glasses. Viewers want to multitask and not be tethered solely to the television.

Further, advertisers were reluctant to incur the expense or spend the time to product commercials in 3D. We heard that repeatedly from the ANA Production Management Committee.

According to the press reports, ESPN said they aren’t abandoning new TV technology. In a statement, the network said it was experimenting with Ultra-High Definition TV, also known as 4K TV which has four times the digital information as HDTV. We wish them luck!